Team Teaching with Maynooth University

Overview of the PDST/MU Team Teaching Pilot Project 2015-2017

Introduced in February 2015, the aim of the Team Teaching Pilot Project with Maynooth University was to explore how we could facilitate effective co-planning, co-teaching and collaborative reflection among student teachers and their co-operating teachers. This joint initiative between the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and the Department of Education in Maynooth University (MU) involved a group of fifteen Professional Master of Education (PME) students. Following a workshop, led by Angela Rickard and Dr. Thomas Walsh, each student teacher with (where possible) an experienced teacher, co-planned and co-taught a lesson in their placement school. To mark the end of phase one of this project PDST and Maynooth University hosted a Team Teaching Seminar on Monday 27th April 2015 to showcase poster presentations from participating PME students and co-operating teachers. Presenters at the seminar included: Ms. Angela Rickard, Dr. Thomas Walsh, Ms. Rachel Farrell, Deputy Director, (PDST), Dr. Seán O’Leary, Director of Wexford Education Centre, Ms. Pauline Connolly, Deputy Director (SESS). All resources from the workshops, poster presentations presentations from from participating schools and keynote presentations from the seminar can be viewed at this link.

Due to its success, the project was expanded in 2016 to include all 2nd Year PME students and their co-operating teachers. In October, November and December of 2015 co-operating teachers and their PME students were invited to attend workshops in Wexford, Kildare and Navan Education Centres. These workshops were co-designed and facilitated by PDST and Maynooth University personnel (William Donnelly, Dr. Marie Clynes, Dr. Thomas Walsh and Angela Rickard).

To celebrate the success of phase two of the project and to showcase the work that was undertaken, PDST\Maynooth University hosted a Team Teaching Zoom Event on Monday 22nd February 2016 with contributions from Ciara O’Donnell (PDST National Director), Professor Sharon Todd (Maynooth University Head of Education Department), Dr. Finn Ó Murchú (University College Cork) and Tomás Ó Ruairc (Teaching Council Director). All resources from the workshops and poster presentations from participating schools can be viewed at this link.

Phase three continued in 2016 where workshops were facilitated by the team below, and will culminate in the 3rd annual PDST/MU Team Teaching Seminar in The Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth on Monday 13th February, 2017 with contributions from Ciara O’Donnell (PDST National Director), Professor Sharon Todd (Maynooth University Head of Education Department), Dr. Colette Murphy (Trinity College, Dublin), Dr. Finn Ó Murchú (University College Cork), Dr. Thomas Walsh (Maynooth University), Phil Fox (PDST), Mr. Michael Finnegan and Ms. Clare Cunnane (Wilson's Hospital, Multyfarnham). All resources from the workshops and poster presentations from participating schools can be viewed at this link.

PDST is funded by the Teacher Education Section (TES) of the Department of Education and Skills (DES) The service is managed by Dublin West Education Centre
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